Snooze Button

Admit it: You’re one of those people who dozes off on the massage table. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. It’s the ultimate sign that your body is releasing stress. But what used to be a pleasant side effect of pampering has now become the goal.

Sleep treatments, which debuted at a handful of preeminent spas in Arizona and New York over the past few years, have arrived in Colorado’s high country. A handful of mountain-town spas now invite visitors to catch some zzz’s through sleep-inducing body therapies and dedicated nap rooms. “People are more interested in sleep than ever before,” says Nancy H. Rothstein, a sleep wellness consultant and educator who hosts the Sleep Radio Show (blogtalkradio.com). “Seventy-six percent of Americans want to improve their sleep quality and quantity.”

It’s not a leap for spas—already in the business of helping clients tune out and unwind—to start focusing on improving slumber. Sleep is the original R and R: It supports tissue repair, stimulates creativity, boosts athletic performance, reduces anxiety, and can even curb weight gain. But satisfying sleep isn’t always easy to get—which is why people are starting to pay for the privilege. The Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, for example, recently launched a Rothstein-designed Sound Sleep initiative, which includes a Sound Sleep TV channel in guest rooms, new sleep-friendly menu items at the restaurant (think: banana oatmeal cookies with warm almond milk), and, not surprisingly, a sleep-focused massage at the property’s Allegría Spa (see “Try It” below).

Colorado’s high elevations can interfere with nighttime rest, even for people who normally doze easily—which is to say, a little professional help to get your snooze on is particularly welcome in these parts. So if it’s more than pretty toes you’re seeking from a spa visit, consider an appointment with the sandman. ______TRY IT